Monocontrol mechanism



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MONOCONTROL MECHAN'ISM r AFiled Dec. 11, 1954 Patented May 19, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates in general to manual control devices, but more particularly to that type wherein a multiplicity of controls may be selectively operated by the manipulation of a single control handle.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple, efcient and inexpensive means by which the number of handles required for the peration of various control elements can be reduced to a minimum.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device capable of locking a multiplicity of controls either in an operative or inoperative position through the manipulation of a single handle.

Such a device can be used most effectively in the operation of machine guns located within the wings of aeroplanes. It can also be used to operate a multiplicity of controls located on a ship, a railroad train or an automobile or in the operation of any machinery where it is necessary to control a number of distant elements from a central station.

In the present practice the operation of aeroplane guns is accomplished by the manipulatio-n of separate charging controls. Where several such machine guns are used, some weight could be saved, and convenience in operation gained by using a form of any mono-control device, conveniently located in the pilots cockpit, since with this device all controls can be operated by a'single handle placed within easy reach of the aviator.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing which forms a part oi this specication, and in which similar reference characters indicate similar or corresponding parts where they occur in the several views.

Referring to the drawing- Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional View along the longitudinal axis of a non-locking type of mono-control device showing the central control and operating plungers;

Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are all cross-sectional views taken respectively on the lines 2 2, 3-3 and 4-4 of Fig. 1, and show the relative location of the various operating members throughout the length of the central control housing;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the longitudinal axis showing the engaging tip in locked position between the retaining shoulders;

Figs. 6, 'l and 8 are cross-sectional views simi'- lar to Figs. 2, 3 and 4 and show the relative location of the operating parts respectively at the sections 6-5, I-'I and 8 8;

Fig. 9 illustrates a modified form of the invention in which the operating controls are locked in either full out or full in position;

Figs. 10, l1 and 12 are cross-sectional views taken respectively on the lines ID-I 8, I I-I I and I2-I2; and illustrate the relative positionment of the locking control means.

Brieiiy stated, the mono-control device consists of a casing in which is mounted a central rotatable shait controlled by an externally located operating handle. The central shaft is provided with means for selective engagement with a multiplicity of operating terminals attached to flexible cables or cordon wires for the remote control of various control elements.

By this construction the various controls can be operated in any desired order by the manipulaton of the single control handle, and in the modified form of my device shown in Fig. 9, the individual controls can be locked in the operative 1.., or inoperative positions as they are moved into `2' these positions by the central control handle.

In the simpler type of mono-control device as shown in Fig. 1, the numeral (I3) designates a housing, I4 an upper cover plate for said housing L which contains a central circular opening for the reception of a shaft (I5). Surmounting the shaft (I5) is an operating handle (I6), and on the upper surface of the cover plate (I4) is 1ocated a dial marked with any suitable indicia, as shown in Fig. 2, to indicate the particular piece of apparatus to be operated as well as a locking position for the control handle. Rigidly attached to the shaft (I5) beneath the operating handle is an indicator pointer (Il), which turns r with the shaft and handle vto show the operator how far to rotate the same in order to operate a desired control. The housing (I3) is preferably formed of a solid piece of metal which is drilled and machined for the receptio-n of the plungers (I8) which are slidably mounted in lon- 45 gitudinal grooves cut at equi-angular distances from each other.

'I'he lower extremity of the shaft (I 5) is formed with a radial selector tip (I9) which rotates with the same, and is of sunicient width to engage one of the plungers at a time.

The lowermost extremity of the plungers (I8) are connected with flexible cables or cordon wires which are in turn operatively connected to various control elements of any apparatus (not shown) it is desired to operate. In the illustrations in Figs. 1 and 9, the plungers (I8) are shown connected to cordon wires, the central wire being indicated by the numeral (20) and the flexible tubing through which it operates by the numeral (2|). The flexible tubing (2|) is attached rigidly to theY mono-control operating mechanism by screw tips (22), which are centrally drilled to accommodate them for sliding movement of the central operating wire (20).

It will be noted that the lower end of the shaft (I5) is drilled for the reception of a spring (23) and plunger (24) which reacts against the upper surface of a central projection (25) of the housing (I3) to lift the radial selector tip (I9) against the upper surface of the operating recess (26) in the housing (I3) shown in Fig. 1 or the corresponding recess (21) in the plungers (I8).

The upper surfaces of these Vrecesses both in the housing and in the plungers are provided with shoulders (29) to retain the radial selector tip (I9) on the particular plunger to which it is turned, or to prevent it from sliding away from the locking position as shown in Fig. 5.

In the operation of the mono-control device the selector pointer (I1) is turned by the operating handle (I6), to the indicia indicating the control which it is desired to operate, When the pointer is in this position the radial selector tip (I9) engages the plunger (I 8) which is connected to the control operating wire, and a longitudinal movement of the handle (I6) when turned to this position will therefore transmit its movement to the control wire (20). v,

The modified form shown in Fig. 9 differs from that shown in Fig. 1, in that the plungers (I) have a latching mechanism installed in them, which serves to lock them in the full-out or fullin position.

In this type of control apparatus the plungers are fOrmed with longitudinal slots (28) provided with knife edge rocking pivots (49) which engage radial latching members (30). The latching members are moved radially outward from the center by a spring (39) and are formed to engage the upper and lower locking recesses (3l) or (32) in the Wall of the housing (I3) to lock the plungers (I 8') in eitherthe out or in position. The pivoted members are operated by the radial selector tip (IQ) of the central shaft When an operating handle corresponding to that shown in Fig. 1, but not shown in Fig. 9, is turned to the desired indicia as previously eX- plained. The selector tip (ISA) when turned into the recess (21') of any plunger (I8) causes the latching mechanism to unlatch due to the radial selector tip (I9) striking the end of pivot arm (33). In this position the plunger IS) is then free to be moved, the latching mechanism latching the moment the tip is moved out ofthe recess of the plunger (I8').

Instead of the locking recess (21), as `shown in Fig. 1, the modified form `of the device is provided with a longitudinal slot (35) for passing the selector tip (19') from the lower selector chamber (36) to the upper selector Vchamber (21') Vor vice versa as may be necessary to move the plungers (I8) to the full-out lor full-in position. It will be noted that by providing intermediate selector chambers and locking recesses, this device can be made to lock the plungers in more than the two positions mentioned, for special adaptations or needs.

In the modified form the spring plimger (24) is eliminated and instead an oval recess is provided in the selector tip (I9) for the ball (38) to rest in to lock the shaft (I5) full-in within the longitudinal locking slot (35) for the lock position.

In operating this device the following movements take place. To operate one of the plungers (I8) the handle (not shown in the modified form) is grasped and the shaft (I5) is pulled full-out and turned until the pointer (I1') points to the proper indice, then the handle is pushed full-in and turned back through the lower selector chamber (36) to the lock position and the plunger (I 8') remains locked in full-in position.

If the plunger (I8) to be operated is already full-in, the shaft (I5) is turned by the handle (not shown) in the full-in position until the pointer (I1') points to the proper indice. This movement rotates the selector tip (I9) in the lower selector chamber (36) until it enters a plunger operating recess (21') whichcauses the locking mechanism of the plunger to release the same from the locking recess in the housing in which it is engaged.

If the handle is now pulled to the full-out position the selector plunger (I8') is likewise brought into this position. Turning the handle until the pointer (I1') points to the indice lock, rotates the selector tip (I8) out of the operating recess of the plunger to the center of the longitudinal slot (35) causing the locking mechanism of the said plunger to lock it in full-out position. Turning the handle to the lock position causes the selector tip (I9) to be locked by the ball (38) which is pressed into the recess therein by the expansion of the spring (39).

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a device for operating a multiplicity of controls by a single control handle, a housing in which is rotatably mounted a central longitudinal shaft operated by said handle which imparts thereto both rotary and longitudinal movement, a radial selector tip projecting from said shaft, and a multiplicity of longitudinally slidable plungers mounted within said housing surrounding lsaid shaft at equal radial distances therefrom, each of said plungers being provided with a recess for the reception of said radial selector tip which when engaged in any of said recesses operates as a coupling to transmit the longitudin al movement of said handle through said shaft to the plunger to which it is thus engaged, means contained within said plungers comprising knife edge rocking pivots which engage radial latching members to move them into upper or lower locking recesses and adapted to lock them in operative or inoperative position on the withdrawal of Vsaid radial selecto-r tip from the aforesaid operating recess, and means comprising cordon wires connected to said plungers adapted for the control of remote apparatus.

CHARLES D. FATOR. 

